Hand-strap.



'PATENTBD JULY 14, 190s. J.' KAMERS. HAM) STRAP- ARBLlUATIQR HLBD LPL 2B. 1903.

N0 MODEL.

Jos' @fz UNITED :STATES Patented July 14', 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

HAND# SPECIFICATION To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JosEPHI-I. MYERS, acitizen of the United States,residingatNew York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented newand useful ImprovementsinHand-Straps, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in the flexible straps or supports employed in the surface, elevated, or underground cars, coaches, or other vehicles designed for the transportation ot' passengers and wherein hand -straps are provided for the accommodation of passengers who because of the crowded condition of the vehicles are obliged to stand, the said straps being usually suspended from rails supported by brackets adjacent to the roof of' the car and Which rails run parallel with the car on either side.

The usual form of hand-strap for the purpose above indicated consists of a single narrow band of flexible material, such as leather, that permitted both a sidewise swing substantially at right angles to the direction of the travel of the car and a swing lengthwise or parallel with the direction of the travel of the car, which latter movement has certain objections which result from the sudden stopping or starting of the car.

Among the objections is the apparent inability of the passenger having hold of the strap to preserve a sure footing, for when the car is suddenly started lor stopped the passenger is thrown in one or the other direction and often in crowded cars is caused to collide with an adjacent passenger, tothe annoyance of both.

My invention comprehends the construction of a simple, effective, and atti-activelooking strap designed to overcome the foregoing objections; and my invention consists of the parts and the constructions and com binations of' parts which I will hereinafter describe and claim.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and in lar letters of reference indicate like parts in the several views, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a hand-strap embodying my invention and showing-the strap in operative po- STRAP.

forming part of Letters Patent No. 733,867, dated July 14, 1903. Application filed April 28, 1903.

serial No. 154.734. (No man.)

lsition. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view on line a: of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a modification to be referred to.

In carrying out my invention I employ a strap A, the central portion of which I reedges together and securing them by a lino of stitching. The strap thus formed I fold upon itselfto form a loop B, which ser-ves as the handheld for the passenger. This loop, it will be observed, is formed by the rolled central portion'of the strap, and a smooth and narrow and convex surface is produced, making a comfortable grip.

The folding of the strap to form the loop B is in a plane parallel with the length of the supporting rail or rod C, which usually eX- tends along each side of the car adjacent to the roof',an'd embracing this rounded or rolled looped portion is a slide D, adapted to hold the two side members of the looped strap together. The flat portions a, of the strap form continual-ions of the rolled loop portion, and these flat portions stand edge to edge and diverge from a point just above the position of the slide D on the main loop, and this'divergence is increased or diminished and the size of the loop for the hand correspondingly reduced or increased by the adjustment ofthe slide on said looped portion of the strap.

The upper ends of the strap A are returned upon themselves, and in the loop thus formed a buckle C' may be secured. A second strap D is stitched or otherwise secured to the upper portion of eachcof the members of the folded strap A and extends to a. point above this last-named strap and is folded to form a supplemental loop E, the free end of said secured strap passing through the buckle and a loop b and having holes for the engagement of the tongue of saidbuckle. If desired, the buckle may be dispensed with, and the free ends of the straps D .may be secured by a rivet bin the usual well-known manner,as shown in Fig. 3; but for some reasons I prefer to use the buckle, as I am thus enabled to open the supplemental loops, so that the device may be readily attached to and removed from the aforesaid suspending rod or rail. From this description it will be seen duce in Width and make substantially cylindrical in cross-section by bringing opposite4 IOO that my strap provides a main portion for the grip of the hand, which portion is smooth and rolled and offers no sharp angles to cut into or bruise the fiesh of even the most delicate hands, and two divergiug portions terminating at their upper ends with loops to engage the usual suspending rail or rod, these loops offering two widely-separated points of attachment to the rod, and the main loop, which is gripped by the hand, standing vertically in ar plane midway between the upper loops, whereby the strap is prevented from excessive swinging movement in a direction lengthwise of the vehicle and affords a firm support to a standing passenger as the vehicle suddenly starts or stops and when passengers areleaving or entering a closely-crowded car where others are standing. While the strap is enabled to swing transversely of the car, the longitudinal movement is almost entirely overcome, so that thereby the passenger is enabled to stand more steadily as against the longitudinal movement of the car.

The upper portions of the strap are also pre-4 vented from closing together, and their divergence is substantially maintained by the edge-to-edge contact of the members of the strap at or about the points where the flat portions of the strap merge into the rolled or rounded portion of said strap, and this divergence is thus effected without the aid of rigid transverse connections or other supplemental means.

The strap described is simple, strong, and comfortable and will prove attractive and convenient in any place where a handhold is desired for passengers required by crowded conditions or otherwise to stand upright in vehicles in motion.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A hand-support comprising a strap folded upon itself and the folded members brought together edgewise and provided with loops at the upper end for the reception of the supporting rail or rod of a vehicle, and a slidable loop embracing and drawing together the intermediate portions of the members of the folded strap whereby a hand-loop is formed below said means and the members of the strap above said means are diverged to widel y separate the upper loops.

2. A hand-support comprisingastrap made narrower at its center than at its ends said narrowed central portion folded to form a loop, and the wider portions of the folded strap leading from said central portion, diverging upwardlyand having their outer ends provided with loops for the reception of the supporting rail or rod of a vehicle; and a slidable loop, intermediate of the first-named loop and said diverging portions, for holding the members of the folded strap together.

3. A hand-support comprising a strap having its central portion rolled upon itself and the edges of the rolled portion brought together and secured, said rolled portion folded to form a loop for the of the folded strap leading from the rolled portion being wider than the latter, and divergingand having their upper ends provided with loops adapted to receive the suspending rail or rod of a vehicle, and a loop embracing and slidable on the rolled folded portion of the strap. l

4. Ahand-supportconsistingofastraphaving its central portion rolled transversely and the edges of the rolled portion brought together and united to form a relatively narrow, rounded grip for the hand, said strap folded upon itself and the wider end portions of the strap leading from the rolled portions standing edge to edge in substantially the same plane and diverging; a strap secured to each of the wider end portions of the folded strap and extended beyond the latter and folded to formloops for the reception of a suspending rail or rod, and the returned end of said secured strap secured to the first-named strap; and a loop embracing the members of the first-named folded strap at a point between the hand-loop and the diverging ends of said strap.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH II. MYERS.

Witnesses:

CHAPMAN W. FowLnR, T. W. FoWLEn.

hand and the portions 

